Mac OS · macOS

Turn On AirDrop on Mac

Source-checked About 1 minute

Answer

Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, click Control Center in the menu bar, then click AirDrop so it turns blue. Open the AirDrop options and choose Contacts Only or Everyone.

Guide steps5 steps
  1. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  2. Open Control Center
  3. Turn on AirDrop
  4. Choose who can send
  5. Test with one nearby device
  6. If it still does not work

Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on. Keep the two devices within 30 feet, or 10 meters, of each other.

Open Control Center

Click Control Center in the menu bar, then find AirDrop.

Turn on AirDrop

Click the AirDrop icon. The icon is blue when AirDrop is on.

Choose who can send

Open the AirDrop options, then choose Contacts Only or Everyone.

Test with one nearby device

Open Finder, select AirDrop in the sidebar, and send one harmless file to a nearby Apple device. On macOS 26.2 or later, a person who is not in your contacts may need to give you the AirDrop code shown on their device.

Video walkthrough

If it does not work

  • If AirDrop still cannot find the other device, confirm compatibility, proximity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Personal Hotspot, receiving visibility and Contacts Only identity on both devices. Keep firewalls and privacy protections intact and test Everyone for 10 Minutes only when appropriate, then restore the preferred visibility.
Sources and verification

Checked against official documentation on . Scope: macOS Tahoe 26.

Checked against the current Apple Mac User Guide for AirDrop controls and requirements.

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